The phrase "stony eyed" refers to someone who has a cold, unfeeling expression. The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is /ˈstoʊni aɪd/, with the stress on the first syllable. The spelling of "stony" follows the English spelling convention where a single vowel can represent a long vowel sound, in this case the sound /oʊ/. The spelling of "eyed" follows the silent letter "e" rule, where the final "e" is used to indicate a long vowel sound for the preceding vowel, in this case the sound /aɪ/.
Stony-eyed is an adjective used to describe a person's facial expression or gaze that appears cold, unemotional, or devoid of any kind of warmth or compassion. The term "stony" refers to the hardness and lack of expression akin to that of stone, while "eyed" refers to the eyes themselves.
When someone is described as stony-eyed, it suggests that their eyes seem distant, empty, and almost impenetrable, giving off an impression of indifference or detachment. It can also convey a sense of sternness or harshness. The term is often used metaphorically to characterize a person who remains unresponsive or unaffected by emotional appeals or to describe a cold, distant demeanor.
People who are stony-eyed may display a lack of empathy, as their eyes do not convey any emotional connection or understanding towards others. It is commonly associated with individuals who keep their emotions tightly controlled and prefer not to show vulnerability. This expression can be used to describe someone in a wide range of scenarios, from a person facing a difficult decision and appearing emotionally hardened to someone who has experienced significant emotional trauma and thereby developed a guarded or closed-off demeanor.
In summary, stony-eyed refers to a person whose gaze lacks warmth, displaying a cold, distant, or unemotional expression.
The term "stony-eyed" is a phrase that combines the adjective "stony" and the noun "eye".
The word "stony" comes from the Old English word "stanig", which means "made of stone". This word evolved from the Proto-Germanic word "stainaz". The root can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European word "stāi-" or "steh₂-", meaning "stone" or "to stand".
The word "eye" originates from the Old English word "ēage". It has cognates in other Germanic languages such as the Old Norse "auga" and the Gothic "augō". These words ultimately derive from the Proto-Germanic "augō" and can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European root "h₃ekʷ-", meaning "to see" or "to perceive".